LAOS – Hinboun – Expedition into Laos’ Longest Cave

Description

The Khammouane Limestone Karst in central Laos is one of the great karst landscapes of Southeast Asia, home to hundreds of cave networks, including some of the largest and longest in the world. Popular with caving enthusiasts and international spelunking expeditions from around the globe, this region is an explorer’s paradise!

While the nearby Konglor Cave, famous for being the longest navigable river cave in the world, is considered by many to be the crown jewel, the Tham Nam None cave Network is a spectacular cavern that is also well worth exploring.

First explored to a depth of 5.3km in 1994, Tham Nam None (translated to “sleeping water cave” referring to the pools of deep water that are left behind in the dry season) has captured the imagination of cave explorers for several decades. Several expeditions in the early 2000’s ventured deeper underground and mapped a further 25km of tunnels, yet there is still much more left to be explored. A recent expedition whose results have not yet been published believes the cave extends over 50 kilometers beneath the towering peaks of central Laos, making it the longest cave network in Laos and overtaking the previous record holder by many kilometers (Tham Nam Dôn at 42km in length).

Locals often enter the cave to catch the fish that become trapped in the pools when the water levels go down at the end of the rainy season, sometimes they also hunt wild boar that venture into the caverns, and occasionally monks head into the cave to meditate.

This half-day or full-day activity leads eager adventurers along a scenic trail through a local village, passing through cultivated farmland and forest and beneath towering cliffs before heading deep into the depths of the cave system. At about 800 meters inside the cave the light from the entrance fades away and the journey continues into the darkness where a picnic lunch will be enjoyed in the unforgettable surroundings.

Can be combined with

Thematic Leisure

• LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglo
• LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun River
• LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave
• LAOS – Hinboun – A Taste of Lao Hospitality
• LAOS – Hinboun – Kayaking on the Hinboun River

Selling points

• The area is untouched and undeveloped, unlike some other areas in Laos that are popular for active adventure travel.
• An excellent way to spend an extra day in the magical Hinboun area – the scenery is stunningly beautiful!
• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to venture deep into Laos’ longest cave – it’s over 50km long!
• It can be done as a half-day morning or afternoon activity, or as a full-day with lunch deep inside the cave.
• A great activity for adventurous travelers looking for an experience to remember.
• It’s easily accessible and has no technical sections – it’s essentially underground hiking and can be enjoyed by all travelers who have a minimal level of physical fitness and who are able to walk on uneven rocky ground.

Level Of The Excursion

The Impact Of This Excursion

Environment Impact

Economic Impact

Additional Information

This activity provides a day of exploration with minimal impact on the environment. The only transportation involved that will have a small impact will be a songthaew (tuk-tuk) that provides transport to and from the cave.

Financially, this activity supports Spring River Resort which in turn provides employment to local villagers (resort staff, guides, drivers etc.) in an area where there are few opportunities for meaningful and rewarding work.

Time And Transportation

Duration

Half Day (4h) or Full Day (8h)

• Transfer from the resort to Nam None Village / 15 minutes.
• Walk through the village and see the locals daily activities / 15 minutes.
• 1 km easy walk to the entrance of the longest cave of Laos / 30 minutes.
• After entering about 800 meters (30 minutes) the sunlight from the huge entrance disappears.
• Easy trekking on round small rocks (hiking shoes with hard sole recommended) / 2 – 7 hours (depends on half or full day).
• Make a small campfire deep inside the cave and have lunch in the dark.
• Return to the sunlight and drive back to the resort

Min pax

1

Max pax

12

How to sell it

Hinboun is an undervalued and rarely visited part of Laos and a place that travelers who do come here always want to spend more time exploring. It’s not visited as often as it deserves due to the longer transfers and the lack of organized activities.

Use this activity to extend the travelers’ stay by adding an extra day, making the visit to Hinboun more worthwhile and easier to justify those long transfers.

• A unique once-in-a-lifetime experience to explore Laos’ longest cave (over 50km long)
• No experience is required and it is easy enough for nearly all guests to enjoy.
• Suitable for families with older children over 14+

To see in more detail how this activity can fit into a multi-day tour of Hinboun please see the “Good to combine with” section of this factsheet.

Why this activity

• Developed to provide a way for travelers to spend more time in this stunning area of Laos.
• Developed to have more reasons to visit and to make it easier to justify the long/expensive transfers to travel to Hinboun.
• Timing is flexible, the activity is easy, and it can easily be added into our programs.

Good to combine with

The purpose of creating this activity was to have more products to offer in Hinboun, to encourage travelers to stay longer and to make it easier to justify the long and expensive transfer to the area. Here is what a multi-day visit to Hinboun would look like:

On the first day in Hinboun, travelers would do the main highlight activity of Konglor Cave:

• (option 1 to go to the cave) LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglor
• (option 2 to go to the cave) LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun River
• (main activity) LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave

On the second day in Hinboun, travelers would do one of the following activities:

• This activity: Expedition into Laos’ Longest Cave
• Kayaking down the Hinboun River

Either of which can be complemented by:

• Additional kayaking on the Blue Lagoon opposite the resort (no extra cost)
• LAOS – Hinboun – A Taste of Lao Hospitality (unless this was done the day before in the evening)

Do not combine with

Do not propose the following activities on the same day as this caving expedition:

• LAOS – Hinboun – Morning Hike from Ban Tew to Ban Konglor
• LAOS – Hinboun – Boat cruise on the Nam Hinboun Rive
• LAOS – Hinboun – Full Day Tour on the Other Side of Konglor Cave
• LAOS – Hinboun – Kayaking on the Hinboun River

Market suggestion

Competitor comparison

• This product is currently not offered by any other DMC.

Pros

• Easy to organize with Spring River Resort.
• A great way for us to provide an additional day in Hinboun for our travelers.
• Really scenic and beautiful. It’s the real untouched Laos.
• Real adventure – you don’t get to see caves like this everyday!

Cons

• This activity is not possible in the wet season and can only be safely done from October to June.

Alerts

• This activity should only be provided to travelers who are spending an extra day in Hinboun and want to do something adventurous.
• This activity is not possible in the rainy season as the cave will have a river flowing through it. Only propose this from October to June.
• Travelers should wear good footwear as the ground is rocky and uneven.

Important information

• Max 12 pax for clients.
• Easia Guide / tour leader is FOC.
• No flip-flops – travelers will need to have good quality hiking shoes or boots as the terrain will be uneven and rocky. Shoes with a solid sole are recommended.

Price range

$$$

Quotation guideline

On ERP:

• Half-day: Laos > Hinboun > Activity > Spring River Resort > HD Excursion into Laos’ Longest Cave
• Full-day: Laos > Hinboun > Activity > Spring River Resort > FD Excursion into Laos’ Longest Cave

Note that the supplier requires a group of minimum 4pax. We can provide this activity for smaller groups but the price is higher.

Inclusion

Half Day

• Transport
• Local Guide
• Headlights
• Drinking water
• Light snack (Sandwich & Fruit)

Full Day

• Transport
• Local Guide
• Headlights
• Drinking water
• Lunch (Fried Rice, Grilled meat, Vegetables, Dessert)

Important notes

• Book the activity directly with Spring River Resort.

Contact

This activity is arranged by Thomas and Vicky at Spring River Resort:

• Address: Ban Tha Salakham, Tha Bac,P.O. Box 880, savannaket Province, (Hinboun)
• Tel: +856 20 59 636 111
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.springriverresort.com/

English

The Khammouane Limestone Karst in central Laos is one of the great karst landscapes of Southeast Asia, home to hundreds of cave networks, including some of the largest and longest in the world. Popular with caving enthusiasts and international spelunking expeditions from around the globe, this region is an explorer’s paradise!

Tham Nam None Cave has captured the imagination of cave explorers for several decades. Expeditions in the early 2000’s ventured deep underground and mapped over 30 kilometers of tunnels, yet there is still much more left to be explored. A recent expedition whose results have not yet been published believes the cave extends over 50 kilometers beneath the towering peaks of central Laos, making it the longest cave network in Laos!

Today you will walk along a scenic trail through the local village, passing through cultivated farmland and forest and beneath towering cliffs before heading deep into the depths of the cave system. At about 800 meters inside the cave the light from the entrance fades away and the journey continues deeper into the darkness where you will enjoy a picnic lunch in these unforgettable surroundings. After exploring this incredible cave you will head back to the entrance and back to Spring River Resort.

Distance and duration of the activity:

• Walk from the village to the cave – 1 kilometer, easy flat terrain.
• Half-day tour in the cave – 2-3 hours inside the cave.
• Full-day tour in the cave – 4-5 hours inside the cave.
• Distance covered inside the cave depends on the participants (how much they would like to do and how fast they walk) 

Notes: Hard-soled shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Please don’t try to do this activity in flip-flops or other shoes with little support as the terrain is rocky and uneven.

French

Le karst calcaire de Khammouane, dans le centre du Laos, est l’un des grands paysages karstiques d’Asie du Sud-Est. Il abrite des centaines de réseaux de grottes, dont certains sont parmi les plus grands et les plus longs du monde. Populaire auprès des amateurs de spéléologie et des expéditions internationales de spéléologie du monde entier, cette région est un paradis pour les explorateurs !

La grotte Tham Nam None a captivé l’imagination des explorateurs de grottes pendant plusieurs décennies. Des expéditions menées au début des années 2000 se sont aventurées dans les profondeurs et ont cartographié plus de 30 kilomètres de tunnels, mais il reste encore beaucoup à explorer. Une expédition récente, dont les résultats n’ont pas encore été publiés, pense que la grotte s’étend sur plus de 50 kilomètres sous les sommets imposants du centre du Laos, ce qui en fait le plus long système de grottes du Laos !

Aujourd’hui, vous emprunterez un sentier pittoresque qui traverse le village local, en passant par des terres agricoles cultivées et des forêts, et sous des falaises imposantes, avant de vous enfoncer dans les profondeurs du système de grottes. À environ 800 mètres à l’intérieur de la grotte, la lumière de l’entrée s’estompe et le voyage se poursuit dans l’obscurité où vous apprécierez un déjeuner pique-nique dans ce cadre inoubliable. Après avoir exploré cette incroyable grotte, vous retournerez à l’entrée et au Spring River Resort.

Distance et durée de l’activité :

• Marche du village à la grotte – 1 kilomètre, terrain plat et facile.
• Excursion d’une demi-journée dans la grotte – 2-3 heures à l’intérieur de la grotte.
• Journée complète dans la grotte – 4-5 heures dans la grotte.
• La distance parcourue à l’intérieur de la grotte dépend des participants (ce qu’ils souhaitent faire et à quelle vitesse ils marchent). 

Remarques : Des chaussures à semelle dure ou des chaussures de randonnée sont recommandées. N’essayez pas de faire cette activité avec des tongs ou d’autres chaussures avec peu de support car le terrain est rocheux et irrégulier.

Spanish

El Karst calcáreo de Khammouane, en el centro de Laos, es uno de los grandes paisajes kársticos del sudeste asiático, y alberga cientos de redes de cuevas, entre ellas algunas de las más grandes y largas del mundo. Popular entre los entusiastas de la espeleología y las expediciones internacionales de espeleólogos de todo el mundo, esta región es un paraíso para los exploradores.

La cueva de Tham Nam None ha cautivado la imaginación de los exploradores durante varias décadas. Las expediciones realizadas a principios de la década de 2000 se aventuraron en las profundidades y cartografiaron más de 30 kilómetros de túneles, pero aún queda mucho por explorar. Una expedición reciente, cuyos resultados aún no se han publicado, cree que la cueva se extiende más de 50 kilómetros bajo los imponentes picos del centro de Laos, lo que la convierte en la red de cuevas más larga del país.

Hoy recorrerá un pintoresco sendero a través de la aldea local, pasando por tierras de cultivo y bosques y bajo imponentes acantilados antes de adentrarse en las profundidades del sistema de cuevas. A unos 800 metros hacia el interior de la cueva, la luz de la entrada se desvanece y el viaje continúa adentrándose en la oscuridad, donde disfrutará de un almuerzo tipo picnic en este entorno inolvidable. Después de explorar esta increíble cueva, se dirigirá de nuevo a la entrada y regresará al Spring River Resort.

Distancia y duración de la actividad

• Paseo desde el pueblo hasta la cueva – 1 kilómetro, terreno llano y fácil.
• Excursión de medio día en la cueva – 2-3 horas dentro de la cueva.
• Excursión de día completo en la cueva – 4-5 horas dentro de la cueva.
• La distancia recorrida dentro de la cueva depende de los participantes (cuánto desean hacer y a qué velocidad caminan) 

Notas: Se recomienda llevar calzado de suela dura o botas de montaña. Por favor, no intente realizar esta actividad con chanclas u otro tipo de calzado con poca sujeción, ya que el terreno es rocoso e irregular.

Italian

Il Carso calcareo del Khammouane, nel Laos centrale, è uno dei grandi paesaggi carsici del sud-est asiatico e ospita centinaia di reti di grotte, tra cui alcune delle più grandi e lunghe del mondo. Frequentata da appassionati di speleologia e da spedizioni internazionali di speleologi provenienti da tutto il mondo, questa regione è un paradiso per gli esploratori.

La grotta di Tham Nam None ha catturato l’immaginazione degli esploratori per diversi decenni. Le spedizioni dei primi anni 2000 si sono avventurate nelle profondità e hanno mappato più di 30 chilometri di gallerie, ma molto resta ancora da esplorare. Una recente spedizione, i cui risultati non sono ancora stati pubblicati, ritiene che la grotta si estenda per oltre 50 chilometri sotto le imponenti cime del Laos centrale, diventando così la rete di grotte più lunga del Paese.

Oggi percorrerete un sentiero panoramico attraverso il villaggio locale, passando per terreni agricoli e foreste e sotto imponenti scogliere prima di entrare nelle profondità del sistema di grotte. A circa 800 metri nella grotta, la luce dell’ingresso si affievolisce e il viaggio prosegue nell’oscurità, dove potrete gustare un pranzo al sacco in questo scenario indimenticabile. Dopo aver esplorato questa straordinaria grotta, si torna all’ingresso e si rientra allo Spring River Resort.

Distanza e durata dell’attività

• Passeggiata dal villaggio alla grotta – 1 chilometro, terreno pianeggiante e facile.
• Visita di mezza giornata alla grotta – 2-3 ore all’interno della grotta.
• Escursione di un’intera giornata nella grotta – 4-5 ore all’interno della grotta.
• La distanza percorsa all’interno della grotta dipende dai partecipanti (quanto vogliono camminare e quanto velocemente). 

Note: Si consigliano scarpe con suola rigida o scarponcini da trekking. Si prega di non tentare questa attività con infradito o altre calzature poco aderenti, poiché il terreno è roccioso e irregolare.

German

Der Khammouane-Kalksteinkarst in Zentrallaos ist eine der großen Karstlandschaften Südostasiens und beherbergt Hunderte von Höhlennetzen, darunter einige der größten und längsten der Welt. Diese Region ist bei Höhlenforschern und internationalen Höhlenforschungsexpeditionen aus der ganzen Welt beliebt und ein Paradies für Entdecker!

Die Tham Nam None-Höhle hat die Phantasie von Höhlenforschern schon seit mehreren Jahrzehnten angeregt. Expeditionen in den frühen 2000er Jahren wagten sich tief unter die Erde und kartierten mehr als 30 Kilometer an Tunneln, doch es gibt noch viel mehr zu erforschen. Eine kürzlich durchgeführte Expedition, deren Ergebnisse noch nicht veröffentlicht wurden, geht davon aus, dass sich die Höhle über 50 Kilometer unter den hoch aufragenden Gipfeln von Zentral-Laos erstreckt und damit das längste Höhlennetz in Laos ist!

Heute wandern Sie auf einem landschaftlich reizvollen Weg durch das örtliche Dorf, vorbei an kultiviertem Ackerland und Wald und unter hoch aufragenden Felsen hindurch, bevor Sie in die Tiefen des Höhlensystems eindringen. Nach etwa 800 Metern im Inneren der Höhle verschwindet das Licht am Eingang und die Reise geht weiter in die Dunkelheit, wo Sie ein Picknick in dieser unvergesslichen Umgebung genießen werden. Nach der Erkundung dieser unglaublichen Höhle geht es zurück zum Eingang und zurück zum Spring River Resort.

Entfernung und Dauer der Aktivität:

• Spaziergang vom Dorf zur Höhle – 1 km, leichtes flaches Gelände.
• Halbtagestour in der Höhle – 2-3 Stunden in der Höhle.
• Ganztägige Tour in der Höhle – 4-5 Stunden in der Höhle.
• Die in der Höhle zurückgelegte Strecke hängt von den Teilnehmern ab (wie viel sie tun möchten und wie schnell sie gehen). 

Anmerkungen: Es werden feste Schuhe oder Wanderschuhe empfohlen. Bitte versuchen Sie nicht, diese Aktivität in Flip-Flops oder anderen Schuhen mit wenig Halt zu unternehmen, da das Gelände felsig und uneben ist.

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